Leicester-Spencer former youth football coach charged with indecent assault

Thursday

Apr 17, 2014 at 6:00 AMApr 17, 2014 at 3:29 PM

By Kim Ring TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

EAST BROOKFIELD — A former Mitey-Mite youth football coach was arraigned Wednesday on charges he molested a girl over a period of about two years.

Richard Leonard, 33, of 92 Wilson St., Spencer, was arraigned before Judge Maura McCarthy in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield on a charge of indecent exposure and three counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.

Mr. Leonard is listed as a coach for the Leicester-Spencer Raiders youth football teams on the group's website. Matthew Leahy, the Leicester-Spencer Raiders president, said Mr. Leonard was subjected to a background check when he began volunteering with the organization. He said Mr. Leonard submitted his resignation as a coach recently.

According to court documents, the Worcester district attorney's office investigated after being alerted by the state Department of Children and Families to the possible assaults. The DA's office informed Spencer police, who went to another address where Mr. Leonard was staying to serve him with a restraining order.

When an officer arrived, he found a note on the door warning there was carbon monoxide inside the residence, and he discovered Mr. Leonard unconscious in the basement with the snowblower running, police said.

He was taken by ambulance to the University of Massachusetts Medical Center — University Campus in Worcester and transferred to a "mental health hospital" when he recovered, the police report said.

The alleged victim told investigators the assaults started when she was 11 years old, and continued sporadically until March of this year, when she confided in an adult. Mr. Leonard allegedly showed her his penis, touched her inappropriately and once tried to remove her pants. The alleged assaults took place at his home.

Mr. Leonard, according to the police report, told police in a telephone conversation from the mental health facility that he "wanted to make things right."

Mr. Leahy said girls are allowed to play in the Raiders program, though it's unusual for that to happen. He said Mr. Leonard did not have any girls on his team, which was made up of second- and third-graders.

Mr. Leonard was released on personal recognizance and ordered to abide by the restraining order. He must continue counseling, have no unsupervised contact with anyone under 16 and be back in court for a pretrial hearing June 10.

Contact Kim Ring at kim.ring@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring